Please read the Draft Breed Standard in full before submitting your suggestions. The UK Kennel Club has strict regulations which must be followed regarding layout of their Breed Standards, so you will find information in different sections on this standard than you would with the FCI Breed Standard. Any amendments which have been made have been carefully considered using the FCI standard, an understanding of KC Breed Standard requirements and a translation of the Hungarian breed standard by a native speaker of Hungarian. Our aim with this Breed Standard is to preserve the Mudi breed as intended by the Breed Clubs in its Country of Origin, Hungary.
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All Kennel Club Breed Standards must be in the following format with breed specific clauses from general appearance through to size. The introductory paragraph, faults and note clauses are universal to all KC Breed Standards and may not be amended.
Introductory paragraph
A Breed Standard is a guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament and appearance including the correct colour of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function. Absolute soundness is essential. Breeders and judges should at all times, be careful to avoid obvious conditions or exaggerations which would be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of the breed.
From time to time certain conditions or exaggerations may be considered to have the potential to affect dogs in some breeds adversely, and judges and breeders are requested to refer to the Breed Watch information related to this breed for details of any such issues. If a feature or quality is desirable, it should only be present in the right measure. However, if a dog possesses a feature, characteristic or colour described as highly undesirable, it must not be rewarded in the show ring.
General Appearance
Medium sized herding dog with a wedge-shaped head. Erect ears. Body top line is slightly sloping towards the rear. The head and front of limbs are covered by short, smooth coat. Other parts of the body have a somewhat longer, very wavy to slightly curly coat.
Characteristics
Herding dog. Courageous, popular with shepherds for herding larger and difficult to manage livestock. Also used to flush wild boar. Excellent watch/guard dog, sports and companion dog. Lovable house pets. Due to the relatively short coat and excellent adaptability, they can be kept indoors without any difficulty.
Temperament
The Mudi is intelligent, of lively temperament, courageous, watchful, attentive, keen to work, active, alert and adaptable.
Head and Skull
The most breed typical part of the Mudi is the head. To the observer it should give the impression of an alert, always ready to work, cheerful and intelligent animal without any trace of shyness or aggressiveness. The head is wedge shaped, tapering evenly towards the nose. Skull and forehead are only slightly convex. Occiput not pronounced. Superciliary ridges only slightly developed. Stop barely pronounced. Toy breed characteristics (short head, round skull, strong stop, round eyes) are very undesirable. The width of the head should be 58-63% the length of the head. The length of the muzzle should be around 40% the length of the head. The length of head should be 40-45% the height at withers.
Nose is narrow, rounded at front with moderately wide nostrils. Nose colour is generally black, except for brown and dilute (ash) brown (including their merle varieties) where the nose colour is brown; Ash (blue-grey) (including Ash merle) where the nose colour is blue. For fawn and white, black nose is favourable but blue and brown are accepted. The muzzle is moderately strong. Bridge of nose straight.
Eyes
Almond shape and set slightly oblique. The eyes should be as dark as possible. For merle colours, partially or solid blue eye colour (in either or both eyes) is permitted. Yellow eyes are not acceptable in black dogs. Rims of lids are tight, close-fitting to the eyeball and evenly pigmented.
Ears
High set erect ears which are of a reverse V-Shape and covered with abundant hair reaching beyond the edges of the external ears, being 10-15% longer than their width at the base. Ears can turn independently of each other and with a very lively response to stimulation. Drop ears are not acceptable. The length of the ears should be close to 45% the length of the head.
Mouth
Lips tight-fitting to the teeth. Corner of mouth slightly jagged. The lip pigment corresponds with the pigment of the nose-leather. Regular teeth of medium size. Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite (besides P1 and M3 which may be absent), ie the upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Neck
The slightly high-set neck forms at an angle of 50-55 degrees to the horizontal. It is of medium length, slightly arched and well-muscled. Without dewlap or pronounced neck ruff. In male dogs there may be a barely developed mane, this should never be prominent.
Forequarters
The shoulder blade is moderately sloping and well-muscled. The forechest is curved, the point of the sternum only slightly protruding. Depth of chest less than 50% of height. The width of the chest should be around 30% of the height of the withers.
Upper arm of medium length, with elbow close fitting to the body. Carpal joint firm, dry and tight with a steep pastern.
Body
Forechest slightly curved and reaching to the elbows. Ribs, somewhat broad and rather flat. Withers are pronounced, long and muscular. Back is straight, of medium length with topline short sloping towards croup which is short, very slightly sloping, medium breadth and muscular. Loin is short and firmly coupled, with underline and belly slightly tucked up. Skin tight, without wrinkles. Slightly longer in body than height. The depth of the brisket should be 40-45% the height at the withers. The length of the body should be 103-105% the height of the withers.
Hindquarters
The hind legs are only slightly overstretched beyond the rear. Upper thigh long and well-muscled. Metatarsus short and steep.
Feet
Round with well-knit toes. Little hair between and under the toes. Pads springy. Nails slate grey and hard. Hind dewclaws not desirable.
Tail
Any length acceptable, from naturally tailless to full tail. Set on a medium height. In repose, hanging, with lower third raised almost to horizontal. When alert and during active movement the tail is carried in sickle shape, above the topline.
Gait/Movement
Characteristic movements are mincing steps, with a vigorous trot and powerful gallop.
Coat
Head and front of limbs are covered by short and smooth hair. On other parts of the body, the coat is uniformly very wavy or slightly curly, never wiry. It is dense and always shiny, about 3-7 cm long. Some cowlicks and ridges are formed. The coat is longest on the back of the forearms and the upper thighs and the bottom edge of the tail, where it forms pronounced featherings. The hair on the underside of the tail can even be up to 10-15cm long. The coat should not be short, smooth and flat on the body or long on the head, nor should it tend towards matting.
Colour
Black, White, Fawn (from beige to red), Ash (blue), Brown, Ash Brown (diluted brown/izabella) and Merle (cifra) of the aforementioned colours. White markings tolerated but not desired. A white patch on the chest, less than 5cm, small white stitching on the toes tolerated but not desired. Only specified colours or markings are acceptable.
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Size
Height at the Withers:
Males: 41cm - 47cm. Ideal height 43cm - 45cm.
Females: 38cm - 44cm. Ideal height 40cm - 42cm.
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Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.
Note: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.